No Apology Needed
by Sanyah
Summary: In the aftermath of the final battle, a young Hufflepuff and a young Gryffindor are finally able to come to terms with the tragedy they went through and find comfort with each other. - One Shot, No Sequel


**Apology Not Needed**

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**Author's Note:**

**Let me get the answers to some questions I believe I might on publishing this small drabble. **

**\- No, I am not abandoning You, My Mate. I have been super busy with work, family, personal tragedies and what not. And I also constantly find that I want to modify something or the other in whatever I have already published. I am currently battling the urge to take it down and rewrite it completely.**

**\- Yes, I am still working on You, My Mate.**

**-No, I don't know when I will be able to publish another chapter.**

**-No, there will be no sequel to Apology Not Needed.**

**Not sure I got everything covered but you can always send me more questions. Always happy to clarify things.**

**And as per the tradition, Harry Potter does not belong to me. Only to Ms Rowling. Sadly…**

**On to the reading, fellow readers!**

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**Apology Not Needed**

Sitting down gently on the floor, trying to find a comfortable enough spot amongst the scattered rubble and pieces of destroyed furniture, Natalie winced as her bruises and wounds protested vehemently to any sort of movement from her part.

Sighing in relief as she managed to lean against a nearby piece of intact wall, her eyes were drawn to the ceiling in the Great Hall, what was left of it anyway. No twinkling candles, no familiar sight of the outside sky that the enchantments replicated for the viewing pleasure of students and staff alike. Only pieces of broken stone and metal, and the actual darkened sky were there for anyone to see, attesting to the horror they just all went through.

Drawing in a deep shuddering breath, Natalie found her mind drifting to the recent past years, but more importantly, the past few months. In the distance, her ears could discern random half-hearted laughter, shouts of relief and unexpected joy. The more prominent sounds however were the soft sobs, the hesitant, unbelieving cries of grief and outright, nerve wrecking cries of despair of terrible, heart breaking loss.

Gripping her wand tighter to calm herself down, Natalie knows that all her tears had dried up from the last time she had broken down a few months ago.

Right at the time when the dark brown owl soared towards her like a bad omen. Everyone at the Hufflepuff table had been eyeing the owl's descent with dread, every single seated student, Natalie included, hoping against hope that the owl did not land in front of them. She had felt her throat tighten with utter grief even though she had not yet known the contents of the letter. Her heart thudded louder against her ribcage as she realised the owl was getting closer and closer to her, and when it landed squarely in front of her, she felt time stop for a few milliseconds as she stared at the owl, willing it with her mind to hop along the table to someone else.

She kept staring at the owl with dread until the owl gave a soft hoot and ruffled its wings, startling her a little. Her housemates as well as students from other houses were looking at her with resignation and pity all over their faces. Shock was no longer part of anyone's reaction after several students had received such missives from Ministry owls for a few weeks already, not unlike the owl that was waiting to be relieved of his letter. Some even had a look of sad expectation painted over their faces, as if they had all been waiting for this to happen one day or the other. She was a Muggle born after all and there was no chance in hell that her family would not be prime targets of the Death Eaters, despite all the precautions the Ministry Of Magic had taken to protect such families.

She remembers shakily reaching out for the small letter tied to the delivery owl's leg. Biting her lips in fear, hand shaking as she retrieved it, Natalie watched as the owl have a sad comforting hoot as if it knew what was in the letter before flying away.

Slowly under everyone's gazes, including that of Professor Sprout who had rushed over when she saw the owl going straight to her Puffs' table, Natalie mechanically opened the letter. She remembers the no-nonsense words that causally informed her that she no longer had a family. Her parents figured among among the latest list of victims who fell under the cruelty of the Death Eaters. The Ministry wanted to extend their deepest sympathies, not that it exactly mattered at that point if she had to be completely honest.

She vaguely remembers hearing someone scream and beg, only to realise later that she must have been the one screaming. All she was told by Professor Sprout when she woke up that she had fainted after a few minutes and Madame Pomfrey had taken her to the infirmary while Professor gravely informed her fellow students of the situation and instructed everyone present to give her some space to grieve for her loss. But all she could feel was a complete and utter numbness. No feelings of complete despair, no sadness, no gut-wrenching feeling of loss that she should have felt. Just nothing….

A gentle finger tapping on her shoulder startled her and she turned abruptly to find none other than Neville Longbottom standing next to her with weary but concerned look on his face.

"May I?" asked the dust and bruise covered young man, gesturing to the empty space next to her on the floor.

Nodding mutely, she scooted a little bit so he could get a piece of half destroyed wall to lean on as well.

Neville and she has been dancing around each other a few months back, still unsure of each other's feelings at that time. Both of them were avid and keen students in Herbology, their affinity for plants nearly rivalling that of Professor Sprouts in the field. Throughout the years, they had naturally gravitated towards each other, being mostly the only ones asked to assist the Professor anytime she required extra hands around the greenhouses. But after her personal tragedy, she had been given a week away from classes to recover and take some time to grieve. The person who had returned from that week however was not the same Natalie everyone knew and loved. The one who returned was understandably subdued, depressed who shut out everyone including the young Gryffindor who had been worried sick about her for the whole time she was gone.

Staring down at her grimy hands, Natalie felt her throat close up with remorse and nervousness and she stayed very quiet as Neville made himself as comfortable as possible next to her. He cleared his throat gently, not knowing himself how to start a conversation after everything that had happened. Neville had been initially very hurt with her rejection and the way she had pushed him away after losing her parents. Logically he knew she had every reason to feel and behave the way she did but he could not help but feel pain when she shut him out.

Spotting a shallow bleeding gash across her left palm, Neville silently and gently reached for it and softly muttered the charm to stop the bleeding and wandlessly healed it, showing exactly that he was no longer the weak scared wizard everyone believed him to be. Natalie remembered seeing him during the battle, fighting alongside Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny. He looked fierce as he cut through one Death Eater after the other, never relenting and showing a breath taking agility and power in front of the threat. Neville rubbed her palm with his fingers absently as they both watched the charm rapidly heal the gash there.

"Thank you," she whispered, her tight throat not allowing for anything more than a whisper from her. Still rubbing her hand in comfort which seemed to be both for his and her benefit, he shrugged slightly, looking briefly t some students who were helping clear the rubble for a makeshift area for the injured.

Looking up at his face, she realised this is no longer the awkward young boy who had started Hogwarts with her in first year. This was Lord Longbottom, she realised. He had claimed his title a few weeks before the final battle and it showed in every single thing he did and said. This was the person her whole being once ached for, that ache still lingering deep inside her as she felt her finger softly caress her palm.

"I'm sorry...I should have….for" she stuttered, her voice trembling and wavering as she attempted to find the right words to apologise for the pain she knew she had caused him. She looked as he shook his head, lifting her hand to his lips, dropping a soft kiss on her skin.

"Don't," he cut her off with a tight smile. "Don't be sorry. You don't have to be sorry for anything," he whispered, looking at her in her eyes.

Looking rapidly down at her lap as she felt the tears well up rapidly in her eyes at his gentleness and caring manner, she shook her head, taking in a shuddering breath, attempting her best at holding back her tears. She breathed in shallowly, her whole body shaking with a sudden overwhelming grief as she tried to speak again. "It was not fair, I was wrong Nev. I am so sorry," she gasped as she fought with her tears, trying with all her might to stop them from falling.

"Nothing has been with this war Nat," Neville muttered softly. "Everything that has happened...none of it is fair. Losing my parents was not fair, Harry never really knowing his was not either. Ron and Ginny losing their brother is definitely not fair. For the whole of Hogwarts to lose someone as amazing as Professor Dumbledore, not fair. You losing your parents was not fair at all. None of it has ever been fair, Natalie," he continued, holding her hand a bit tighter. "You needed time and I, better than anyone, understand that very well. There is absolutely no need for you to apologise, not now, not ever. You needed time to grieve, to heal, to be alone with your feelings and memories."

Feeling his finger gently lifting her chin, Natalie looked up reluctantly into his comforting eyes. "Never apologise for your feelings, not with me Nat," he said softly.

Her breath hitched in her throat, Natalie looked at her joined hands, wiping furiously at a few lone tears that had dared escape the confines of her eyes, trying harder to control her emotions. All was for naught though as her heart stuttered when Neville bent slightly forward, brushing a soft kiss on her forehead, and wrapping a long arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer to him.

Not a single word was uttered then as the dam holding her emotions at bay crumbled inside her and she burst into tears, all the pain she had refused to feel all these months catching up to her but most importantly, relief was there, relief to have Neville again. To have that one person she knew would be there for her no matter what.

Neville took in a deep breath as the woman who held his heart crumbled in tears, pulling her even closer, both his arms wrapping around her frame, one of his hands finding its way into her luxurious hair, carding his fingers gently through the locks as he let her purge her feelings after holding them under such a tight control for so long.

His heart soared as her arms wrapped around his back, holding on for dear life. He had missed her so much and for so long. It had been agony watching her become a shadow of herself during those months, not being able to reach her and help her. He knew she loved just as she knew he loved her as well. Words were not needed for what they felt and now they could heal together. For now though, he fully intended to make the most of the moment and take care of the woman he cradled in his arms before they started to build a future together.

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\- END -


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